Space

Space Force faces disproportionate impact from a shutdown or CR

Space Force faces disproportionate impact from a shutdown or CR
Space Force faces disproportionate impact from a shutdown or CR

“As the newest service, one with plans to expand significantly every year, losing even a few months of work could set the entire effort back in the long term,” warn Charles Galbreath and Tim Ryan of the Mitchell Institute in this new op-ed.

Space Force wrapping up plan to buy C2 software for maneuvering sats

Space Force wrapping up plan to buy C2 software for maneuvering sats
Space Force wrapping up plan to buy C2 software for maneuvering sats

A future challenge for the R2C2 program will be figuring out how it fits under the Pentagon’s overarching Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) efforts, Kelly Hammett, director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, told Breaking Defense.

Government shutdown: How it could impact the military, civilians and defense industry

Government shutdown: How it could impact the military, civilians and defense industry
Government shutdown: How it could impact the military, civilians and defense industry

Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer, noted that China doesn’t have to deal with this kind of budget chaos. “We can teach them how to do that. That would be helpful,” he said.

Modern antenna for aging Satellite Control Network passes first test

Modern antenna for aging Satellite Control Network passes first test
Modern antenna for aging Satellite Control Network passes first test

BADGER’s first demonstration, held in late August, “marks the first end-to-end test of the steerable phased array modules and software,” Col. Greg Hoffman, of SpRCO’s Strategic Capabilities Acquisition Delta, said.

Pentagon plans to transfer ‘high accuracy’ space tracking data to Commerce

Pentagon plans to transfer ‘high accuracy’ space tracking data to Commerce
Pentagon plans to transfer ‘high accuracy’ space tracking data to Commerce

“Commercial data, commercial processing is not classified. It does not matter that the DoD wishes it were,” said Barbara Golf, special advisor to Space Systems Command.

Space industry shakeups: Aerospace consolidates, Maxar breaks up

Space industry shakeups: Aerospace consolidates, Maxar breaks up
Space industry shakeups: Aerospace consolidates, Maxar breaks up

One Maxar official told Breaking Defense today that Maxar’s “mission focus” on NRO will not be affected by the split up.

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Laser comms in orbit underpin Space Force’s Transport and Tracking layers for data and missile warning

Laser comms in orbit underpin Space Force’s Transport and Tracking layers for data and missile warning
Laser comms in orbit underpin Space Force’s Transport and Tracking layers for data and missile warning

With mission experience and partnerships across the space industry, Northrop Grumman is executing the Space Development Agency’s vision for speed, delivery, and agility.

‘Not enough’: Space Force pauses commercial strategy to flesh out ‘actionable’ plans with industry

‘Not enough’: Space Force pauses commercial strategy to flesh out ‘actionable’ plans with industry
‘Not enough’: Space Force pauses commercial strategy to flesh out ‘actionable’ plans with industry

“It can’t just be a strategy with aspirational platitudes about how we’re going to work together,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said. “It has to have more tangible guidance, things that we can take action on.”

Space Force looking to fill tech ‘gaps,’ and ‘evolve’ space domain awareness: Saltzman

Space Force looking to fill tech ‘gaps,’ and ‘evolve’ space domain awareness: Saltzman
Space Force looking to fill tech ‘gaps,’ and ‘evolve’ space domain awareness: Saltzman

The space operations chief wants systems that can gather “exquisite, high fidelity information about what’s going on” in geosynchronous Earth orbit “and beyond,” more sensors in the Southern Hemisphere to keep an eye on low Earth orbit and — critically — a better way to fuse data.

AUKUS security pact should expand to include space monitoring: MITRE

AUKUS security pact should expand to include space monitoring: MITRE
AUKUS security pact should expand to include space monitoring: MITRE

“Each nation possesses unique advantages, technological capacities, and strategic geographic positions that, when combined, have the potential to significantly advance humanity’s understanding of what’s going on in space,” the paper says.

Space moves: Trackers losing maneuvering sats, increasing heavenly danger, study says

Space moves: Trackers losing maneuvering sats, increasing heavenly danger, study says
Space moves: Trackers losing maneuvering sats, increasing heavenly danger, study says

The COMSPOC study included a look at risks from unannounced rendezvous and proximity operations — such as those being routinely performed by the Russian “inspector” satellite Luch/Olymp that have raised hackles at the Defense Department — and the risks to US military satellites cause by mis-plotting the trajectories of adversary birds.

Commerce study highlights benefits, challenges for allied space surveillance cooperation

Commerce study highlights benefits, challenges for allied space surveillance cooperation
Commerce study highlights benefits, challenges for allied space surveillance cooperation

There is growing concern about what happens when different countries’ predictions of an on-orbit collision do not match, said Matt Hejduk, of The Aerospace Corporation. “A man with two watches never knows what time it is,” he quipped.

At Hawaii space conference, DoD space monitoring challenges in the spotlight

At Hawaii space conference, DoD space monitoring challenges in the spotlight
At Hawaii space conference, DoD space monitoring challenges in the spotlight

“Providing space operators with relevant, timely data can help to prevent operational surprise and support efforts to protect and defend space assets,” a recent report to Congress on Pentagon space policy and strategy says.

Germany inks Artemis Accords, citing ‘security impact’ in space

Germany inks Artemis Accords, citing ‘security impact’ in space
Germany inks Artemis Accords, citing ‘security impact’ in space

Germany is not the first European country to join, but as a political and economic center of the continent, Berlin’s move could convince several others to follow suit.